


King & Queen & Joker

by orphan_account



Category: Johnny's Entertainment, Sexy Zone
Genre: AU, M/M, Shori is a girl, Warning: Genderswitch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-16
Updated: 2014-05-16
Packaged: 2018-01-25 09:41:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1644167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Fuma had announced that he would steal Shori from him, Kento had not expected that <i>he</i> would be the one falling for Fuma, in the end.<br/>-- AU based on the King & Queen & Joker PV (?) --</p>
            </blockquote>





	King & Queen & Joker

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cortney (for making me do this)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Cortney+%28for+making+me+do+this%29), [Tania and Jojo (for suggesting it in the first place)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Tania+and+Jojo+%28for+suggesting+it+in+the+first+place%29).



> THIS THING IS NOT MY FAULT, TLIST FORCED ME TO WRITE THIS! All I mentioned was that maybe, the Joker was not after the Queen but after the King, and this is what came out of it.  
> It's horribly long and cheesy and I apologize. I warned you.

Kento had always known he would be named king someday - his parents had raised him with that expectation, and he had started learning foreign languages while still in diapers, and now, at 20 years, he was already educated in politics and governance to a degree that others would not even reach after their master studies. 

He was ready, technically, but when his father unexpectedly died from a cancer so aggressive that it only took a matter of months for him to pass away, he was not so sure that he really was, after all. 

He felt a little like he was caught in a bad movie - he had just lost his father, and all everyone cared about was when he would follow him to the throne and what kind of plans he had for the country and when he was going to marry, and it made his head spin so much that he wished he could just flee to that little private island his parents had brought him to when he had been three and never come back to the castle again. 

But he knew that he had responsibilities, and every time he looked into the tired eyes of his mother, he knew that he had to be strong, for both of them, and for the whole country. 

“You need to marry within this year, Kento” she told him a week after his father’s funeral during dinner, making Kento almost choke on a pea. 

“It’s October!” he got out between coughs, and the servant next to him watched him nervously, as if wondering if he needed to intervene to keep their next king from choking to death. 

“If we don’t name you king by the end of the year, you know very well that the Kikuchis will claim the throne!” she snapped impatiently, her usually gentle manner hidden under the strain of the last few months. “And you can’t be a king while you are still unmarried, it is written in the law.”

“The law is outdated!” Kento protested. “It’s 2014, who cares if I am married or not?!”

“The royal family does!” his mother hissed. “And you know very well that your father would turn over in his grave if a Kikuchi is named king instead of a Nakajima! The crown has been in our family for over 120 years, and this is the way it is going to stay!”

“I never said I did not want to be king!” Kento groaned. “But how am I going to find a wife that quickly?!”

“I already chose you one” she said simply, making Kento gape at her.

“You are kidding me, right?” he murmured, his heart sinking somewhere into the area of his stomach, making him feel sick as he dropped his spoon onto the plate. 

“You said it yourself, it is impossible to find a wife that quick!” she shrugged, looking slightly uncomfortable but determined. “And the Sato family is an influential clan with royal origins. A liaison with them can only be of benefit for us.”

Kento did not know what to say, just staring back at his mother, feeling almost numb.

“Don’t look at me with those eyes, Kento” his mother sighed, dropping her spoon as well. “You know this is anything but easy for me. And if I could, I would let you choose your wife yourself. But as it is-”

“You and Dad married out of love” Kento murmured. “Dad always told me that it’s important to not forget who you really are under the demands of what people want you to be.”

“You know that the situation was different when your father was crowned” she said softly. “There was no need to rush like there is now.” When Kento still didn’t answer, she added: “I am sorry, I wish I could do anything more for you, but… as it is, I can only try to help you succeed. And this is what I am doing. So don’t hate me for it.”

Instead of returning anything, Kento got up, bowed in an overly polite gesture he did not usually use for his mother, and excused himself to his room. 

***

“It could be worse?” Marius, his cousin, told Kento tentatively as he poked his side. 

Marius was the son of his father’s sister, who had been Edoian embassador in Neuschwanstein, where she had met her husband. Marius had grown up in Neuschwanstein and had only moved to Edo after he had turned ten, but in the last 4 years, he had grown to be the closest confident Kento had. Despite the age difference Kento liked to talk to Marius more than most other people around him, because he was honest and that tiny bit naive and dreamy, just like Kento, and he made him feel understood. 

“And how?” Kento enquired, burying his face into his pillow.

“I met this Sato Shori once. She is pretty” Marius shrugged, stretching out on the bed next to Kento. Kento frowned at how Marius had grown to be just as tall as him with only 14 years. That boy would be a giant in a matter of a year. “I mean, she did not talk much, but maybe that is also a good sign? You know how full of themselves royal girls are most of the time.”

“I don’t care what she is like” Kento murmured, looking up at him with a pout. “I have never even talked to her. I never wanted to marry without love.”

“I know” Marius nodded, the compassion on his face real as he glanced at all the romance novels Kento had collected over the years. 

He had never cared if the royal circles had whispered behind his back and had called him a romantic fool. He had always had a hang to clichés and love and dreamy scenarios, believing firmly that one day, he would be the prince to someone’s fairy tale, ready to sweep his dream girl off her feet. Quite literally. 

Now, after having been told to give up his hope for the big love to become the king everyone expected him to be, his world suddenly seemed incredibly dark, and he just wanted to hide and give the crown to whoever volunteered first. Maybe they still had a free position in the embassy at Neuschwanstein. 

“But what are you planning to do?” Marius murmured finally. “Refuse and give up on your claim for the throne?”

“...No” Kento admitted grudgingly, hitting the pillow in frustration, as if it was the fault of the inanimate object to begin with. “I owe my father too much for this. He died expecting that I would take his place, and I can’t disappoint him in that.”

“So that means you are going to marry her?” Marius checked. 

“Do I have a choice?” Kento sighed, and Marius stroked his hair in a gesture of comfort. “I hate this. What use is it being the crown prince if I can’t even have my own romantic fairy tale?”

“Maybe you’ll fall in love with her?” Marius suggested. “She is kind of cute.”

Kento only hummed, leaning back against the pillow in defeat and letting Marius pet his hair some more. 

***

Sato Shori was indeed pretty, but she was also shy and quiet, and when they were introduced to each other, she literally did not speak a word, just letting her father do the talking, so Kento did not bother trying either, not while about 20 people were in the room with them to settle the details of their marriage. 

He did not get any chance to talk to her privately either, though, so when they stiffly bid their goodbyes and they saw the Sato family off to the entrance hall, the girl he was supposed to marry was still as much of a stranger to him as before. 

“You will have plenty of time to talk to her during the ball this weekend!” His mother said encouragingly.

“Yes, a ball with about 500 members from the royal family attending” Kento murmured bitterly. “Perfect setting to get to know each other.”

“You will have to stay side by side throughout most of it, anyways” she said helpfully. “Since we will announce your engagement at the ball, everyone will want to see you together. See it as your first official outing as king and queen.”

Kento did not answer, cringing inwardly at the words, and his mother let the topic drop, for once. 

***

Kento had been on countless balls before, and he had always quite enjoyed them, had liked the music and the girls dressing up and the lively mood, but now that he was the center of one himself, he found it rather stiff and tiring. 

He still had exchanged no more than 2 words with his future wife, and though they were side by side constantly throughout the night, they were surrounded by people all the time, not allowing them to talk among themselves. 

Shori was quiet most of the time, only smiling and giving one word answers, and all in all she seemed so uncomfortable with being in the spotlight that Kento felt a little sorry for her.

The first time he really heard Shori speak, he had just turned to a waiter for a new glass of champagne (alcohol was the only thing to bring him through this night) when her uncomfortable laughter reached his ears.

He turned with a frown, only to find her standing with a tall blond of probably Kento’s age. He held her hand in his, and leaned down to kiss it with a flirtatious smile. Kento could do nothing but stare, his eyes taking in the handsome face of the guy, and his lean body in the white suit. It took a few moments more, and the boy continuing his quiet conversation with Shori, before he managed to make himself move over to them.

His eyes were on the boy’s face when he took his place next to Shori, staring until the other slowly averted his eyes from his fiance to look at him. 

“Your highness” he said with a small bow, all the time keeping Kento’s gaze. “What a pleasure.”

“Yes, a pleasure” Kento nodded with a frown, trying to remember if he had ever met the boy before, but he was pretty sure his face would have been easy to recognize if he had. “Forgive me, I can’t seem to recall your name.”

“That’s because we have not been introduced” the boy admitted. “But our families have a long history. My name is Kikuchi Fuma.”

Kento’s eyes widened, and indeed, the name immediately rang alarm bells within him. 

Over a century ago, the house Nakajima had won the battle over the crown, and even now, years and years after, the relationship between the two families was tensed. The Kikuchi family stated their claim for the throne whenever they could, sometimes using sneaky and outright malicious methods to put the Nakajimas into the wrong light, and Kento had been raised with the firm instruction to _never_ trust a Kikuchi, no matter what he did. 

The boy in front of him was their filial son, and accordingly the next in the succession to the throne should Kento decline. 

Kikuchi Fuma was still holding his gaze even as Kento missed his turn to speak, and there was something challenging in his eyes, something that scared Kento a little, even if he was not sure why.

“You have a beautiful fiance” Fuma commented, smiling at Shori before looking back at him. “It makes me want to steal her before she has a chance to walk down the aisle.”

Shori laughed uncomfortably, but Kento just stared at him, feeling that Fuma was not joking like his tone made it seem. 

Kento and Shori were called over by Kento’s mother then, and with a slight bow and a smile to Shori, Fuma took off again, disappearing into the crowd. 

***

It took only two more hours until Kento’s weariness with Fuma had turned into utter rage. It seemed like every time Kento as much as turned his back to Shori, the other boy was there to take over her attention, and what infuriated him the most was that Shori actually _talked_ when he was around, while all she did in Kento’s presence was nod and smile.

“What do you think you are doing?!” Kento hissed at him as soon as he could catch him alone, or well, as alone as you would ever be in a crowded ball room, which was at the buffet near the salad bar. 

“What are you talking about, Your Highness?” Fuma asked in fake innocence, and Kento was ready to shove that handsome face with that ridiculously sheepy smile right into the bowl of dressing. 

“You know exactly what I am talking about!” Kento groaned. “Why are you courting my fiance?!”

“They told me you were smart?” Fuma scoffed, raising his eyebrows. “I thought you would be able to figure it out yourself!” Before Kento could snap anything more at him, though, Fuma continued: “If you aren’t able to marry, you can’t be crowned.”

“You are not married, either!” Kento reminded him. 

“But if Shori chooses me over you, I will be” he shrugged. “And she is young and easily impressed. We all know no young girl wants an arranged marriage nowadays. I can make her fall in love for real.”

“Well, aren’t you full of yourself?!” Kento hissed. 

“Just confident” Fuma grinned. “Which you are obviously not, seeing how annoyed you are right now.”

“Who would not be annoyed?!” Kento groaned. “Stay away from my fiance! What you are doing is ridiculous!”

“We will see” Fuma said smugly, snatching a cherry tomato from Kento’s plate and popping it into his mouth before strolling off. Kento put his plate down onto the bar a little too harshly in frustration, making people look up at him and mutter.

***

“Mari!” Kento hissed when he finally found his cousin, standing at some table chatting with a boy looking about his age, even if he was probably half his size. “You won’t believe what just happened!”

“What happened?” Marius frowned, turning away from the other boy (whose face had turned into something like horror when he had recognized Kento, but this was nothing he was not used to, being the crown prince and all) to face Kento. 

“Kikuchi Fuma is threatening to get in between my marriage with Shori!” he groaned, snatching Mari’s glass of water and downing it in one go. 

“What? And how is he planning to do that?!” Marius blinked.

“Apparently he thinks he is able to win her over or something, I don’t know!” Kento shrugged. “But he keeps cornering Shori and it just really pisses me off!”

Marius opened his mouth to return something, but stopped when someone called loudly: “Sou!”

Both of them turned, and Kento’s eyes narrowed when he saw none other than Kikuchi Fuma himself approaching. Compared to earlier, his expression was rather guarded, though, and his eyes traveled from Kento back to the boy Marius had chatted with earlier.

“What the heck are you doing with Nakajima Kento and his cousin?” he muttered, and the boy looked uncomfortable as he eyed Marius.

“I did not know” he murmured. 

There was a moment of silence, in which Fuma shot Kento another glance before grabbing Sou’s arm. 

“Let’s go, I have something to tell you” he murmured, and Kento watched them take off into the crowd with a frown. Marius eyed him wearily.

“Before you ask, I had no idea that Sou-Kun was in any way acquainted with the Kikuchis! We were talking about food and music!”

“Okay, okay” Kento nodded, still glaring. “But watch out who you talk to from now on, the Kikuchis are dangerous!”

“I think you are letting him scare you too much…?” Marius said hesitantly. “I don’t believe he can actually do anything about this. Your engagement is settled. He just wants you to freak, that’s all.”

“I guess you’re right” Kento sighed, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. “But I still don’t like this.”

“It will be fine” Marius nodded encouragingly, patting his shoulder. “And when you are the king, you can still think of ways to misuse your power and pay him back.”

Kento raised an eyebrow at him, making Marius grin mischievously.

***

All in all, Kento was more than relieved when the ball neared its end. He had been more busy with keeping Fuma away from Shori’s side than trying to get to know Shori, and now he had a headache and just wanted to drop into his bed again and not move preferably for the rest of the year. 

He was not really paying attention as people were waving him their goodbyes, but his head shot up immediately when he heard Fuma speak, almost paranoid by now. 

He found Fuma a few feet away talking to his mother, and Kento did his best not to look at them and kept the polite smile on his face as he pretended to listen to the Edoian ambassador in Windsor talk about tea and rainy weather. 

“Thanks a lot for inviting me, Your Highness” he heard Fuma say, his voice perfectly charming and pleasant, and it made it hard for Kento not to narrow his eyes to a glare. “I know my family is not usually included in any royal events nowadays, so I feel quite honored.”

“We feel honored that you came” Kento’s mother returned. “Maybe this is the perfect opportunity to move past the disagreements of our families. Please feel invited to join us again, and stay as long as you want.”

Kento knew that it was an empty phrase from his mothers side, royal politeness on elementary level, but he still saw it coming when Fuma responded: “I would be really glad to accept that offer,” and knew immediately that his acceptance was anything but empty. 

His input was needed in his own conversation, though, so he missed the rest of it, but when he crossed Fuma later in the corridors of the castle, it told him all he needed to know. 

“What are you doing here?!” Kento hissed, pulling him away from the servants to a corner near the stairs, not caring that his grip was anything but gentle. “Don’t you have a home?!”

“Be careful, or I might need to consider throwing you out once this castle is mine” Fuma grinned. 

“It will never be yours!” Kento shook his head. 

“Please, Nakajima Kento” Fuma scoffed, rolling his eyes, and suddenly, his teasing note was gone, and his eyes were serious, taking Kento aback. “I have heard enough about you to know that you can’t marry without love. This is not what you want, and this is why you won’t go through with it!”

Kento opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out once Fuma’s words sank in. He could only stare, unsure what to say. 

“See, you know it yourself” Fuma nodded. “You are not cut out for this. Better leave the crown to me and live your life the way you want it, not the way your country needs you too. It’s better for all of us.”

Kento’s heart was beating loudly in his ears, and he desperately tried to find a response, but none came, and he watched with slight horror as the smile returned to Fuma’s lips. 

“Don’t see me as an enemy” he said softly. “I don’t mean any harm. I just want the best for everyone.”

He reached out to squeeze Kento’s shoulder, but Kento backed away from him, finally waking from his trance and shaking his head vehemently. 

“Never! he brought out finally. “Stay away from me. And from Shori. I don’t need your help.”

Fuma raised an eyebrow, but before he could return anything, Kento had already whirled around and was fleeing down the corridor, as far away from Kikuchi Fuma and his poisonous words as he could get. 

Kento felt like he could not breathe, and his head was spinning as much as his mind, and he only stopped running when a hand closed around his wrist, holding him in place.

When he looked up, he was facing Marius, who was observing him in alarm. 

“Kento, what happened?” he murmured, and when Kento did not answer, he tugged at his hand, pulling him until Kento was following into his cousin’s room. 

“What happened?” Marius repeated as he closed the door behind Kento, but Kento could not answer. Voices were screaming in his head, and his throat was closing up, and then he was leaning against the closed door and sliding down to the ground, burying his face in his knees as his tears spilled over. 

Marius continued calling his name, but Kento could barely hear him with the sobs wracking through him. 

***

He woke up in Marius’ bed the next morning, his head hurting and his eyes refusing to open fully against the blinding light falling in through the window. He silently cursed Marius for not using blinds. 

“Good morning” Marius said quietly, and he turned to find his cousin already sitting in bed, typing away on his phone. He put it away when Kento looked up at him, though, taking in his face. “Are you feeling any better?”

“I don’t know” Kento croaked truthfully, closing his eyes again. 

“Will you tell me what happened now?” he asked tentatively, talking softly as if he feared Kento would break down again any moment. “Last night was really scary, you know.”

“Kikuchi Fuma happened” Kento admitted finally, sighing deeply. 

“Yeah, I heard that he was staying here for a while” Marius nodded. “But I don’t understand why that would make you cry like this.”

“I met him last night” Kento explained, rolling onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. “And he said a few things, and they… hit deep.”

“What things?” Marius prodded. 

“That I can’t marry without love because that’s not what I want” Kento retold in an almost emotionless voice. He felt strangely drained. “That I am not cut out to be a king, and that I should just let him take over so I can have my freedom.”

“So… you cried because you think he is right?” Marius asked slowly. “”Because he presented you with things you actually want?”

“I dunno” Kento shrugged. “Maybe?”

There was a long silence between them, and when Marius spoke again, his voice was more determined than Kento had ever heard it. 

“You know you don’t need to be king if you don’t want to, right, Kento?”

“Yes I do” he protested automatically, but Marius shook his head and continued: “I am not speaking as a member of the Nakajima Clan now, I am telling you this as your friend. You are a _person_ , Kento, and if this is really not what you want, you should not be forced. This is not the Middle Ages anymore! You can make your own choices in live!”

“You know it does not work like that for a crown prince!” Kento groaned. “For everyone else in the world, but not for people like me!” 

“Why?!” Marius challenged.

“Because I have a responsibility in front of my country and my family!” Kento said loudly, much louder than he usually addressed Marius, and it made the younger one recoil physically. “I can’t just leave the fate of so many lives in the hands of a guy that has weaved already more intrigues in the few hours since I met him than I have come across my whole life, and that is something to say as a member of the royal family!”

Marius did not respond, but he was still looking at Kento unhappily, and Kento made a face.

“I have no choice” he murmured, much more quietly now. “I can’t disappoint anyone.”

“But I don’t want to see you unhappy, either” Marius murmured. “You deserve happiness as well as anyone else.”

Kento did not answer, but he looked up when Marius shifted next to him, crossing his legs and catching his eyes. 

“Shori is moving into the castle today, right?” he said suddenly, making Kento blink. 

“Yes” he nodded. 

“Ask her for a date” he suggested, taking Kento by surprise. “Court her, even though she does not need courting anymore. But maybe, this way, both of you can still fall in love. Just because your marriage is arranged, doesn’t mean you need to give up on romance.”

“... You got a point there” Kento frowned, sitting up. “Maybe both of us will be happier once we grow closer.”

“Exactly” Marius nodded, smiling. “And the more she focuses on you, the less chance Kikuchi Fuma has to intervene.”

“It is worth a try” Kento nodded, almost smiling as he caught Marius’ gaze. “You are smarter than they all give you credit for.”

Marius pouted at that, making Kento laugh for real as he ruffled his hair. 

***

It was almost impossible to catch Shori alone at first, because people were gathering around her all the time: her parents seeing her off to her new home, her new servants, my mother, and occasionally even Fuma, whose eye contact Kento still vehemently avoided. 

He was able to take her hand after dinner, though, and with a little yelp from her side that thankfully alerted only a couple of servants, he pulled her into an empty treasure room, closing the door behind them.

“Hi” he said a little breathlessly, smiling at her, but her eyes were wide and a little frightened, making Kento feel like a kidnapper rather than a fiancee on a romantic mission. “Sorry, I just felt like they’d never leave us alone, so…” he trailed off, and Shori did not respond, still staring at him, causing Kento clear his throat awkwardly before continuing. “Do you have any plans for tonight?” he asked finally, smiling encouragingly at her, and finally Shori blinked, biting her lip. 

“No?” she murmured. “I mean, I wanted to unpack, but other than that-”

“Just for an hour or so” Kento promised.

“Okay” Shori frowned. “But what do you have in mind?”

“I thought I could show you around the castle grounds” Kento explained, his smile turning real as he cooed: “They are beautiful at night, and you can see the stars much clearer than in the city. I promise you will like it!”

“Okay” Shori nodded, smiling tentatively. “Sounds good.”

Kento grinned, awkwardly letting go of her hand as he realized he was still holding onto her. 

“Alright. So I will pick you up at your room in an hour?”

“Yes” Shori nodded. 

“Good” Kento sighed, relieved that at least this had worked out. They could only move forward from here. 

Shori was already waiting for him when he turned up at her door later that night, but she was quiet and nervous as they made their way out of the castle and down the beautifully lit pathways of the gardens. Kento was trying to make light conversation, but he never got much of a response, and it discouraged him more and more with each passing minute. 

“You don’t talk much, do you?” Kento asked finally, making Shori look up at him in surprise. 

“I’m… not good at this kind of stuff” she admitted finally, frowning. “I am not very outgoing, and find it hard to be comfortable around people I don’t know.”

Kento sighed, plopping down on a small bench, staring at the dark lake in front of them. Shori sat next to him tentatively. 

“It’s not your fault, though” she said after a while. “It’s really nice of you to ask me out and all. I just don’t know how to behave.”

“Be yourself” Kento suggested, turning his head to catch her eyes. “I don’t bite, you know.”

“I never thought you did” she smiled, very shortly so that Kento would have missed it had he not been searching for it. “But it _is_ a little weird, knowing you will be the person to spend the rest of my life with. I am afraid to say something wrong.”

“Don’t be” Kento frowned. “I mean, exactly because we will be marrying… Shouldn’t we try to get to know each other? To grow to like each other?”

“Probably” she nodded. 

“Well, then… let’s do that” Kento murmured, but his voice was still strangely small as the words came out, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. “And one thing? Please stay away from Kikuchi Fuma.”

Shori looked at him curiously at that, tilting her head to the side questioningly. 

“I don’t trust him” Kento said simply. “He wants the throne, and I am not sure to what lengths he might go to get it.”

“I see” Shori said slowly. “Okay, then I will avoid him. He makes me a little uncomfortable anyways.”

Kento smiled at that, taking a moment to just look at Shori in the dim light of the lanterns, taking in her soft features, her big brown eyes and her shiny dark hair. She was pretty indeed, and maybe, if Kento tried hard enough, he could let himself fall in love with her. There was no valid reason why he shouldn’t be as happy with her as with anybody else. 

It was that thought that made him lean in. Shori gasped as he pressed his lips against hers, but she did not push him away. Instead, she froze, and Kento was not sure if she was even breathing, worrying him a little. He also did not dare to move, his lips just motionlessly pressing against hers as he waited for _anything_ , for the world-changing sensations he had always read about, anything that would make your first kiss that memorable and exciting. 

All he found, though, was his quick heartbeat and a slightly painful stiffness in his neck, so he pulled away again, looking at Shori nervously. 

She met his gaze with big eyes, seeming not sure what to say or do, and Kento just wordlessly turned away again, eyes focusing back on the lake in front of him. 

The silence between them was heavy, and Kento did not dare to speak again until Shori slowly got to her feet. 

“I… will go back inside… and unpack some more” she said hesitantly. 

“Okay” Kento nodded, moving to stand as well. “I will bring you-”

“No no, I can find my way around” Shori protested quickly, taking a hasty step away from him. “I will see you tomorrow.”

“Fine” Kento frowned, biting his lower lip. “Goodnight, then.”

“Goodnight” Shori murmured, and then she was taking hurried steps down the path back to the castle, almost stumbling over her own feet in her haste. Kento felt slightly guilty as he watched her disappear. 

“Damn” he murmured to himself, feeling more depressed than ever. “This is not working.”

It was not that Shori was in any way disagreeable, but he was sure that love felt differently. And though he technically should feel better now, having talked to Shori and even having her agree to stay away from Fuma, he felt even more hopeless, like he had tried only to realize that what he had wished for was impossible, after all. 

He startled when someone sat down next to him, and was even more alarmed when he found it to be no other than Fuma. 

“Don’t freak!” Fuma said immediately, catching Kento’s wide eyes. “Damn, I’m not going to murder you or anything! Don’t look so frightened!”

Kento just met his eyes sceptically, making Fuma laugh, a real laugh, and it looked strangely nice on his face. 

“Wow, my family really has a bad reputation with you guys” he mused. “What did you expect me to do, drown you in that nice little lake?”

“I _think_ that has even happened before” Kento said mildly. “I remember something about the older kids telling me about some ghost of my great great grandmother haunting this lake after she was killed by a Kikuchi or something.”

“I think they just wanted to scare you” Fuma laughed. “You seem easily influenced.”

“Well, thank you” Kento said drily, making Fuma chuckle. 

“I’ve never met anyone as naive as you, especially within the royal family” Fuma shook his head in wonder. “It’s almost cute.”

“I’m not naive” Kento hissed indignantly, but it lacked vehemence and only served to make Fuma’s smile widen. 

“No, that little kiss with Shori just now wasn’t naive _at all_ ” he noted. “What did you think would happen, sudden fireworks?!”

Kento wanted to snap back, but Fuma’s words hit deeper than they should have once again, making Kento fall silent.

“You really did, didn’t you?” Fuma blinked, watching his face. 

“I just hoped that we could still fall in love somehow” he admitted quietly. “But it seems impossible.”

“You can’t fall in love from one minute to another just because you want to” Fuma said seriously. “This is not how it works, Nakajima!”

“Then how does it work?” Kento enquired, sounding more desperate than he wanted to, making Fuma look at him with an unreadable expression. “What do I need to do to make it work?”

Fuma did not answer, just staring at him, and Kento sighed.

“Of course you don’t know” he murmured. “And even if you did, you wouldn’t tell me, because you want me to feel like this. I get it.”

“I - I never said I wanted you … to…” Fuma muttered, but he seemed unsure of how to end the sentence and let it hang in the air. 

“I just… want to know” Kento whispered, and he was not sure why he was telling Fuma all of this, why he suddenly felt so talkative in the other’s presence when he knew very well that every word he said could be used against him. “What a real kiss feels like. Just once.”

Fuma was still staring at him, and his face was weirdly unguarded, his eyes wide and hanging on Kento’s lips, though Kento was not quite sure why. It was not uncomfortable, though, so he stayed where he was, looking out over the lake in silence. 

Kento jerked when suddenly, Fuma was all in his personal space, and for a second he wondered if Fuma was really going to drown him now, but then, Fuma’s hand was in his hair, and his lips on his own. 

It was completely different from the kiss with Shori. Fuma’s lips were moving, making him melt against them, and his head was spinning, keeping him from doing anything, from thinking of anything… He just _felt_ , the electricity spreading from where Fuma’s lips were brushing his, from where Fuma’s fingers were pressing into his scalp with just enough pressure to feel good, and he could not even make himself push him away, just letting Fuma kiss him until there was no air left in both of their lungs. 

When Fuma pulled back, he was panting and seemed just as confused as Kento felt. 

It was then, that Kento came back to himself, and he shoved at Fuma so hard that he fell down from the bench, landing on the floor.

“Ouch!” Fuma groaned. “What-”

But Kento did not stay to hear what he had to say, instead, he jumped up and ran, all the way until he was back in his room, door locked behind him. 

His mind was still spinning, and he sank down against the door, staring into nothingness as he tried to comprehend what just had happened. 

He did not find sleep that night, needless to say. 

***

The next day was pure hell. He was barely conscious due to the lack of sleep, but still was required to pay attention to everything his mother and the royal wedding planner were saying, when he seriously could not care less if they used white or pink roses for the bridal bouquet. 

He could not look into Shori’s eyes, which seemed to fit just perfectly because she also avoided his, but what was worse was that he ran into Fuma every now and then, who instead of chasing after Shori seemed to suddenly be chasing after _him_ , and it was all too much for Kento to wrap his mind around. 

When Fuma did finally manage to catch him, he found himself being pulled into a storage room, cold and dark as soon as Fuma closed the door behind him, but the other boy did not seem to care about that as he searched his gaze, holding on as Kento tried to fight off his hand. 

“What do you want from me?!” Kento asked testily, feeling restless now that he was alone with Fuma again.

“We need to talk about last night” Fuma murmured breathlessly, and Kento laughed darkly, making Fuma blink at him owlishly. 

“Is that your new strategy now?!” Kento challenged. “Do you want to make _me_ fall for you, so that I will give up and you can have her?!”

“What?” Fuma murmured, Kento’s words seeming to have taken him off guard. Or maybe he was just that good an actor. Kento could not tell anymore. “That’s not-”

“That’s it, right?!” Kento shouted, feeling himself shaking under the weight of his emotions. “You figured that I am weaker and more easily influenced than Shori, so you changed your tactic and-”

“That’s not true, Kento!” Fuma interrupted him, stepping a little closer. “I did not plan what happened last night. It just happened, and-”

“Do you want to tell me that you fell in love with me all of a sudden?!” Kento scoffed. “When yesterday you were still trying everything to rob me of my crown?! Who is supposed to believe that, Kikuchi?!”

“I- I know it doesn’t make sense” Fuma stuttered, gulping. “I don’t know what’s happening myself, I just… you were so honest and emotional and…”

“And so you thought ‘Why not push him further into misery?!’” Kento challenged.

“You felt something too!” Fuma called, his fingers around Kento’s wrist tightening. “You can’t tell me that you didn’t!”

Kento took a second too long to answer, and it seemed enough for Fuma to pull him in again.

His lips were desperate and demanding on Kento’s, feeling way too good for how confused Kento felt, but he did not allow himself to drown in it, not again, and when his knee hit Fuma right where it hurt most, the other gasped and let go, allowing Kento to push him away completely.

“I don’t believe a word you say!” Kento yelled, shaking like a leaf from all those emotions he did not understand. “Just leave me alone, for god’s sake, I am not going to fall for your lies!”

Fuma stared at the floor, not meeting his eyes as Kento reached for the door handle to leave. He did not move to stop him, and Kento was thankful because he did not trust himself enough to fight him. 

***

“... But what if he’s serious?” Marius asked quietly, watching as Kento paced across the room, not being able to sit still.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Kento called. “How would he suddenly fall in love with me?!”

“I know it seems unlikely, but…” Marius frowned. “ _What if_?”

“There is no ‘what if’!” Kento groaned. “There can’t be a ‘what if’!”

“But you are so worked up about him” Marius pointed out. “Are you sure you don’t like him?!”

“He is trying to steal the throne!” Kento snapped. “How am I supposed to like him?!”

“I could ask Sou-Kun” Marius offered. “If Kikuchi is serious, I mean. Maybe he knows.”

“Sou-Kun is connected with Kikuchi!” Kento rolled his eyes. “He would lie for him in a heartbeat!”

“Sou-Kun is not a bad guy” Marius murmured, making Kento roll his eyes.

“And they call _me_ naive” he muttered. 

“Just tell me one thing” Marius demanded. “What did the kiss feel like?”

Kento flushed and froze, trying hard to find any words, but the blood was rushing in his ears at the mere unbidden memory, and he could not string any thoughts together.

“I will call Sou-Kun” Marius nodded, reaching for his phone.

“I don’t care what Sou-Kun says!” Kento called. “I won’t believe any of it!”

“It can’t hurt to ask” Marius shrugged, and no matter what Kento said, he stuck to his decision. 

***

Kento was not even surprised to find Marius and Sou in his room the next day, waiting for him. He had been so lucky to avoid Fuma all day (though that had not been hard, since the other had not crossed his way even once), and if it wasn’t one thing, it was usually the other.

“Just listen to us!” Marius said quickly as Kento glared at them. “You can make out of it whatever you want, but just listen to what Sou has to say!”

“Fuma is packing his things right now” Sou spoke up, making Kento hold in and frown in confusion. “He called his father last night to tell him that he was coming home, that he did not want to get into your way anymore. His father was furious, and now he is on the way here to talk to him, and…” Sou gulped, before continuing: “I am not sure what happened between you, he wouldn’t tell me, but… Fuma is not a bad guy. He has just been raised to strive for the throne, no matter what measures he had to take, but… meeting you seems to have changed him.”

“Yeah, that’s what he wants me to believe!” Kento called. “Do you think I can’t see what you are doing?! You are telling me all this so I will run and stop him and cancel the marriage with Shori for him, just so he can claim the throne again afterwards! I won’t fall for this!”

Sou sighed, looking at Marius helplessly before murmuring: “I am not the right person to convince you otherwise. I can just tell you how I see Fuma, and he was like a brother to me, so maybe I am biased… But there is something up with Fuma, something that made him stand up to his family’s expectations, and I am pretty sure it has to do with you.”

Kento shook his head, turning back for the door.

“I will get myself something to drink now” he murmured. “And when I am back both of you will be out of my room, or I will ask the servants to throw you out!”

With that he left, throwing the door shut behind himself forcefully. 

On his way to the kitchen, though, Kento overheard shouting from the hallway, and when he stopped to listen, he could hear Fuma’s voice.

Against his better judgement, he moved closer, close enough until he could peek down the staircase to spot Fuma standing there with a man looking so obviously like an older version of him that Kento just knew he was his father even without having met him before. 

“We had an agreement!” Fuma’s father yelled, stepping closer to his son. “You were going to court Sato Shori to keep her from marrying Nakajima Kento! What is your problem now?!”

“I don’t want to do this anymore, that is my problem!” Fuma shouted, clinging to the bag in his hand angrily. “I don’t want to marry Sato Shori and I don’t want to become king!”

“Where is this suddenly coming from?!” his father demanded. “You _always_ wanted to be king!”

“Because you told me to!” Fuma yelled. “But Nakajima would be a way better king than me! He has a sense for right and wrong and-”

“What is it, did you suddenly become friends with that boy?!” Fuma’s father scoffed. When Fuma did not answer he shook his head angrily. “Fuma, what the-”

“I am not going to get in his way anymore!” Fuma said firmly. “He is a good guy and he deserves all the good things, and still all the shit keeps happening to him, and he does not need me to top it off!”

“This is exactly why we can break him!” his father returned. “We are so close, and you-”

“I don’t _want_ to break him!” Fuma screamed. “I refuse to do anything to harm him!”

“I am not seeing you home!” the older man groaned. “Forget it.”

“Fine, then I will stay here” Fuma hissed. “But I won’t do anything, and you have to accept that!” 

With that, he turned around and hurried up the staircase, his father shouting after him.

“Fuma! We are not done talking!”

Kento looked around frantically, knowing he needed to move, but then, Fuma was suddenly right across from him, staring at him with wide eyes. 

None of them brought out a word, and then, the footsteps of Fuma’s father were to be heard, so Fuma grabbed Kento’s hand and pulled him through the next best door, which turned out to be the empty library. 

Both of them stayed silent and listened as the footsteps outside faded, and even when they did, no one spoke up.

Fuma was not looking at him, instead seeming unusually interested in the pattern of the doorknob, and Kento took in his face, noting how the smug sparkle had left his eyes and overall, Fuma did not seem the person he had met in that ballroom a couple of days ago anymore.

It was that realization that made Kento ask: “Did you mean it?”

Fuma did not need to ask what he was talking about.

“I’m not asking you to believe me” he murmured. “I would not believe myself if I were you. So it’s okay. Don’t bother.”

His fingers reached for the doorknob, as if keen to flee, but before he could push it down his grip loosened again. He looked slightly pained when he finally met Kento’s gaze. 

“I just… I love you” he murmured, and Kento forgot how to breathe. “I don’t understand how this happened, but… I do, and… this is why I decided to give up. No matter what I am going to do, I will just cause you trouble. So I am going to stay away from you, and… you can marry Shori and become the best king ever and try to be happy.”

“You know I’m not happy” Kento whispered automatically, without thinking. Everything inside of him was hurting and maybe Marius was right, maybe there was a ‘what if’, and maybe he liked Fuma more than he had thought, even if it made absolutely no sense. 

“But I can only make it worse” Fuma said quietly. He was reaching for the doorknob again, this time pulling, but Kento’s hand pushed against the wooden surface, keeping the exit blocked and making Fuma sigh. “Kento…”

“Kiss me” Kento breathed, shaking again as Fuma looked up at him with wide eyes. “I told you, I just want to… be properly kissed, just once. By someone who loves me.” It took effort, to add: “And someone I love.”

Fuma let out a shaky breath, but he let go of the doorknob and dropped his bag to the floor, and slowly, way too slowly for Kento’s taste, stepped closer. He closed his eyes as he felt Fuma’s trembling fingers on his cheeks, cupping his face, and then, Fuma’s lips closed over his. 

And it was everything he had ever read about, fireworks and electricity and he wanted to cry because _why was this happening now_ , with this guy out of all people on earth, and maybe this had been a bad idea after all because now he knew what love felt like, the thought of living without it seemed even more cruel. 

Fuma put his everything into the kiss, his whole soul and being and Kento’s mind was spinning as he just desperately clung to his shirt, never wanting to let go, and yet knowing that it was impossible. 

When it seemed like Fuma was going to pull away, his movements slowing and becoming softer, Kento followed his instinct to sling his arms around Fuma’s waist and pull the younger boy flush against him. Fuma took in a sharp breath, and Kento used his distraction to to run his tongue over Fuma’s lips. 

Fuma’s lips parted immediately, and a choked moan slipped him as their tongues brushed against each other’s, making Kento shudder in ecstasy. 

In the next moment, Kento found himself pinned against the door, the uneven artistic texture of the wooden surface feeling slightly uncomfortable, but Kento’s couldn’t care less as he felt Fuma’s body align with his, feeling warm and sharp and perfect against him, so much that Kento forgot about everything but him. 

When Fuma finally pulled away, Kento whined and clung to him, not allowing him to go anywhere, and Fuma panted as he took in the other boy’s face.

“Kento” he breathed, seeming pained. “You know we should not be doing this. You are going to marry soon, and you-”

“Don’t go” Kento pleaded, burying his head in Fuma’s shoulder and wrapping his arms around him as tightly as he could. “Don’t go anywhere. Don’t stop.”

“Kento” Fuma sighed, but his arms went around Kento as well, cupping his nape and rubbing circles over his shoulder blades. “Well, damn it.”

Kento could not have agreed more, but his brain had completely given up all sense for duty, and he did not care about the consequences, did not care that this would probably make everything ten times worse, he just _wanted_ Fuma, in every way possible, even though he knew that this could have no future. 

“Just tonight” Kento whispered. “I swear I will let you leave in the morning. Just… hold me. Love me. So that I will never forget what it feels like.”

Fuma let out a shaky breath, embracing Kento tighter, and Kento just closed his eyes and felt Fuma all around him, feeling his heart race in his chest, trying to carve all of it into his memory, every detail, from the way Fuma was trembling slightly to the scent of the T-Shirt Kento had his face pressed into. 

When Fuma pulled away again, Kento first thought he had really made the decision to leave, but before he could have opened his mouth to protest Fuma had used his hand on Kento’s neck to turn his head to him, connecting their lips again. 

Fuma’s kiss was deep and passionate, full of desperation and impatience, and Kento gave himself up to it completely, deciding that for this one night, he would be Fuma’s, not the future king or the filial son of the Nakajima Clan or Sato Shori’s fiancee, just Fuma’s and nothing else. 

He blindly reached for the lock of the door, fumbling to turn it, and when he heard the loud clicking sound tear through the silence, he leaned back against the wood again, fisting the front of Fuma’s shirt to keep him close. 

Fuma just kept kissing him so deeply that Kento felt dizzy from it, seemingly content to keep going like this forever, but Kento wanted more, wanted to feel Fuma in every way possible. He was not sure if he would have been this impatient had the circumstances been different, but there was no sense in pondering over it now, and he wanted all of Fuma to make sure he would have no regrets once they had to part again. 

When his fingers slipped under the hem of Fuma’s shirt, finding warm skin, Fuma gasped into the kiss, and his fingers fisted Kento’s hair as he managed to deepen the kiss even more, somethings Kento had not thought possible. 

He let his hands explore, running them over Fuma’s defined stomach and chest, brushing happy trail and nipples and collar bone, and when Fuma parted their lips again, it was to take a deep breath. 

“Are you sure?” Fuma asked, and his voice was darker and rougher and it made a shudder run down Kento’s back. “Here in the library?”

Kento nodded, pushing Fuma backwards gently, entangling them just long enough to 

take his hand and lead him down the long rows of bookshelves. Finally, they reached Kento’s destination, a cushioned corner full of pillows and blankets that his father had commissioned when he had still been a child and had spent hours on the library floor reading detective books. 

He caught Fuma’s eyes when he pulled him down onto it, and they were dark and full of longing, making Kento shiver from the intensity of the gaze alone. 

Fuma pulled him into another kiss, pressing Kento against the mountain of pillows, and this time, his hands wandered as well, under Kento’s shirt and over his sensitive skin until Kento felt hot and tingly and was moaning softly with every other breath.

It was uncoordinated when Kento pulled at Fuma’s shirt, but the younger boy got the message and broke their kiss to get rid of the fabric. He threw it into a corner impatiently before unbuttoning Kento’s shirt, hissing as the buttons wouldn’t budge fast enough under his trembling fingers, and Kento helped by unbuttoning Fuma’s jeans. 

Kento only pulled Fuma in again when both of them were freed of any clothes, and he moaned when they came together skin on skin, fitting together perfectly, like a puzzle piece. 

Fuma was nibbling on Kento’s throat, but it was much slower than before, making Kento fear that Fuma was questioning their actions again, and when he really pulled away again, Kento grabbed his wrist with wide eyes.

Fuma just smiled and shook his head, though, placing a soft kiss on Kento’s lips before whispering: “Just a moment,” and with that, Kento finally let go. 

Fuma got up and hurried down the rows of bookshelves again, which looked a little funny since he was completely naked, but he did not disappear for long, and when he returned, he had his bag in hand and was rummaging through it. 

Kento propped himself up on his elbows and watched him curiously until Fuma drew out a little tube and a condom. 

“Why do you have this stuff with you?” Kento asked in honest confusion, making Fuma flush as he climbed back over Kento’s body, dropping the items next to his head. 

“I _was_ planning to seduce someone when I came here” he reminded him quietly, uncomfortable and obviously guilty at having to mention it again. “Even if it wasn’t you.”

“Oh” Kento murmured, but he did not have any time to consider his words as Fuma pulled him into another kiss, chasing all further thoughts away with his tongue. 

It seems like neither of them could keep their hands to themselves anymore now that all the layers between them were gone, and Kento explored every inch of Fuma he could reach, shuddering in return at every brush of Fuma’s clever fingers. 

When they finally curled around where Kento was hard and leaking, Kento groaned, throwing his head back at the pleasure, unable to keep his eyes open even though he knew Fuma’s were drinking in his face. 

Kento heard the plopping sound of the tube being uncapped, but he was too distracted by Fuma’s other hand stroking his shaft, and when slick fingers circled his rim, he gasped but didn’t fight it. 

It felt weird and intense when the first finger entered him, but Fuma’s ministrations made it hard to focus on it for too long, and when Fuma’s lips found Kento’s again, it were too many sensations to make sense out of anything. 

Fuma prepared him carefully, with a patience none of them had had before and Kento seriously wondered how he could do it when he himself was so aroused that he felt like crawling out of his skin, but Fuma did not let Kento rush him, just drinking up his whimpers and moans as he kept going. 

It became decidedly too much when Fuma had three fingers inside of him and one of them started brushing over something that made jerk and break the kiss to cry out, unable to deal with the intense pleasure racing through him. 

Fuma froze and let go of his length to clasp his hand over Kento’s mouth, eyes wide and warning, making Kento remember that it was probably unwise to be this vocal in a castle full of people who were not supposed to know what they were doing. 

“Fuma, please” Kento murmured against his fingers, and Fuma but his lip as he removed his hand, both from Kento’s mouth and where he had worked inside of him, and Kento felt strangely empty for a moment, but when his eyes followed Fuma’s hands, still trembling slightly as they found the condom and ripped open the foil package, he felt strangely warm and complete.

Maybe it was the fact that, despite seeming sure of what he was doing Fuma had never stopped shaking, if from nervousness or the strength of his emotions Kento was not sure, but it reassured Kento in an inexplicable way. 

He watched as Fuma rolled the condom onto his own length and aligned it with Kento’s entrance, gasping as he felt the tip of his erection poke him gently. 

“Kento” Fuma whispered, catching his eyes, and Kento felt like he could see right into his soul from how clear his eyes were, like the deepest ocean, and he could not help but lean up to claim Fuma’s lips again.

Fuma held him up with an arm around his waist, using the other to prop himself up, and then, Kento felt him gently pushing inside. 

Fuma felt different than his fingers and Kento gasped into the kiss and slung his arms around Fuma’s shoulders to hold on, but there was no pain, only pressure and intensity. 

They needed to break their kiss once Fuma had bottomed out, panting too hard to keep going, and when Kento experimentally rocking against him, both of them moaned helplessly.

“Move” Kento whispered, his patience at an end, and thankfully, Fuma listened to him, pulling almost all the way out only to thrust back into him, squeezing a high pitched sound from Kento’s throat. 

Fuma’s lips pressed against Kento’s again, more to muffle his noises than to kiss, and Kento was thankful because he could not seem to control them. Every thrust from Fuma made an unbearable pleasure run through him, and he could not even seem to remember his own name, much less whoever could overhear them.

Or maybe what Fuma was mumbling against his lips, that was his name, even if it was muffled and unclear as he picked up pace, chasing after both their highs, and Kento could do barely more than cling onto Fuma as he let himself fall. 

The angle was perfect, and Fuma kept hitting Kento just right, his erection sliding against Fuma’s stomach with each thrust, and the stimulation soon became too much for Kento to take. 

He came with Fuma’s name on his lips, the pleasure crushing down on him like a flood wave, and Fuma’s arm around him tightened as he he thrust into him faster and more desperate until he followed right after him, moaning into Kento’s mouth helplessly. 

Kento felt barely conscious as Fuma somehow found the strength to gently lay him down against the pillows again, to pull out of him and remove the condom before laying down next to him, pulling Kento flush against him and kissing his temple. 

“Are you going to stay?” Kento asked fuzzily, finding Fuma’s fingers and entwining them. “Just for the night?”

“Yes” Fuma whispered. “Just for the night.”

***

Kento felt warm and safe when he woke up the next morning, blinking against the bright light coming in through the windows, smiling automatically when his eyes focused on Fuma’s face right in front of him.

Fuma was still sleeping, looking peaceful and adorable, and Kento just lay there for a while and stared, unable to tear his gaze away from the boy who was still holding him tightly in his arms. 

The more Kento woke, though, the more he remembered their promise and the knowledge that from now on, they needed to pretend that last night had never happened. Like they did not even care about each other, even, and with every passing second that the realization sank in Kento hurt more, like someone was sinking a knife right into his heart over and over again. 

His sight became blurry with tears, and his fingers were reaching out to touch his face before Kento could help himself.

Fuma woke from the touch, and his eyes fluttered open, sleepy and disoriented until they found Kento’s, and suddenly, Fuma seemed wide awake. 

“Kento” he murmured, his own hands coming to Kento’s face to wipe away his tears, but it was useless since new ones followed right away. “What-”

“I don’t want to marry Shori” Kento whimpered. “I don’t want to be king. I don’t want all of this. I just want to be with you.”

“Kento” Fuma whispered, and then he pulled him into his arms, allowing Kento to cry into his shoulder. 

Kento’s tears did not seem to stop, and when Fuma pulled back a little to look at him, his own eyes were red and puffy, making Kento sob even harder.

“You are going to be king” Fuma said firmly, and his voice was rough but his words determined. “You were born for this position, and you will be the best king this country can wish for. And I will support you from a distance.”

Kento wanted to protest, but all he brought out were incomprehensible whimpers, and Fuma cupped his cheeks to kiss his forehead. 

“I love you” Fuma whispered. “Even if we can’t be together, I love you. Isn’t that enough?”

“No” Kento sobbed, and Fuma bit his lip to keep the tears hanging on his eyelids from spilling. 

“But it has to be” he breathed, and Kento knew that he was right, but still, he could not keep himself from crying and asking Fuma not to leave him. 

Fuma just held onto him until he was exhausted from crying and drifted back off into a slumber. 

When he opened his eyes again, Fuma was gone. 

***

Kento felt as empty as never before as the wedding grew closer. It was hard to make himself get up in the morning, and every professional smile hurt his face, so he gave up on it and only reduced them to strictly necessary moments. 

He knew that people noticed, even people outside from Marius. His mother kept shooting him that look he had last seen on her when he had been five and had refused to give her a goodnight kiss after she had accidentally ripped off the head of his teddy bear, and even Shori asked him what was wrong, but he kept lying to them, insisting that everything was fine. 

The closer the wedding came, the less he seemed to be able to sleep, though, and when he did, Fuma appeared in his dreams, and it made him wake up in tears. 

He kept gulping it down, though, kept making himself get up every day and do what people expected him to, all the way up to the wedding. He could have set a clock to Marius’ speech, seeing it coming from the look in the younger boy’s face, but he cursed Marius sense for TPO when he started it _exactly_ on the day of his wedding, cornering him just as he was getting ready to go outside. 

“Don’t do it, Kento” he said firmly, watching his cousin with worried eyes as the latter fumbled with his tie. “I am serious. You will regret it.”

“We’ve been there, Marius. I don’t have a choice” Kento returned, but his voice sounded lifeless even in his own ears. 

“Yes you do” Marius argued. “Do you really think the people want an unhappy king? You are selling your soul, and this is not right.”

“I promised Fuma” Kento whispered, his voice suddenly stuck in his throat. He cleared it before continuing. “We had an agreement, and I won’t be the one stepping back on it.”

“Kikuchi is as much of a masochist as you!” Marius rolled his eyes. “He think he is doing the best for you, but he is wrong. I talked to Sou and his mood has been positively suicidal since he returned home. Both of you are-”

“Enough” Kento interrupted him, because he was seriously worried that he would flee once he heard more about Fuma. “I need to go. People are waiting for me.”

“Kento!” Marius whined, shaking his shoulder. “I am serious, okay!”

“So am I” Kento nodded, finally meeting his eyes. “I really appreciate you wanting to help me, but it’s too late, Mari. My fate has been settled once my father died.”

“This is not fair” Marius murmured, and he looked like he was going to cry himself, so Kento averted his eyes. 

“Life is never fair” he muttered, and with that, he made his way out of the door.

***

As soon as he took his place down the aisle, his eyes began wandering about, searching for Fuma. He knew that it was not smart to do this so shortly before his own wedding ceremony, but he could not help himself, it was a reflex knowing that he was here, which he had to be as a member of the royal circles. 

Kento finally found him somewhere in the back, weirdly easy for Kento to spot from his position, and his eyes were already and Kento, making their gazes meet. 

Kento found it hard to breathe, and he could not avert his eyes, instead keeping them on Fuma all the time until the music started, and even then, he was hesitant to break their content to look up. 

Shori was being led towards him by her father, and she looked pale under the artistic hairstyle, her skin almost blending in with the color of her white dress. She looked as bad as he felt, and when their eyes met, he almost had to smile at the silent understanding between them. 

At least they agreed in one thing: Not wanting to do this. 

Kento could barely tune in to the words of the priest. Instead, his eyes found Fuma again, and he kept focusing him all the way through his speech. The look in Fuma’s eyes was the only thing that kept him grounded to where he was. 

He balled his fist when the priest addressed him, taking in Fuma’s face one more time before turning to look at Shori. 

"Do you, Nakajima Kento, take Sato Shori to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Kento took a deep breath, fearing that his voice would leave him once he started speaking, but it was clear and only slightly shaky as he answered: “I do.”

Shori looked positively green in the face by now, and Kento merely felt numb and empty as the priest turned to Shori, addressing her now. 

"Do you, Sato Shori, take Nakajima Kento to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Kento waited for Shori to finally give her answer so they could get this over with, but he was kept waiting. He frowned as he caught Shori’s eyes, and she was biting her lip before finally, as determined as Kento had never seen her before, she shook her head.

“No” she said finally. “No, I won’t.”

“Shori” he murmured, but before he could say anymore Shori was speaking again, fast and emotional and it took him a little off guard. 

“I don’t want to do this” she protested. “And above all you don’t. I could see how miserable you were for the past few weeks. I am sorry, but I don’t want to see this face every day for the rest of my life. You look better when you are smiling.”

Kento did not know what to say, just staring at her, his mind spinning in something between relief and horror, and when Shori smiled, it did nothing to calm down his nerves. 

“And we both know your heart is beating for someone else, anyways, and I refuse to be the bad girl in this love triangle.”

Kento gulped, looking up to search Fuma’s gaze again, only to find Fuma as pale as Shori had been a minute ago. 

“You don’t need me to be your queen” Shori shrugged, stepping back from her stiff position a little and making a face at her high heels. “You can be a king very well without me.”

“No, he can’t!” Someone said loudly, and there was a sudden murmur going through the room. Kento needed to a moment to spot Fuma’s father, who had gotten to his feet to speak up. “The law states clearly that a king has to be married before being crowned. If Nakajima is unable to fulfil that condition, he must step back and give up the throne to my son.”

“I refuse!” Fuma protested loudly, making his father whirl around to glare at him. 

“Fuma-”

“I give up on my claim for the throne!” Fuma said firmly, meeting Kento’s eyes, and Kento felt a little dizzy. “Kento is the king of this country, not me.”

“You ungrateful little-” Fuma’s father began, but Fuma interrupted him, continuing as if he hadn’t heard him. 

“I also vote for a change of the crowning laws” he announced. “This stuff is terribly outdated and only brings trouble. We have 2014. Who cares if a king is married or not, seriously.”

His words were followed by a commotion, and the voices were so loud in Kento’s head that they hurt, but then, his mother was by his side, her hand on his shoulder warm and comforting as he rose her hand and made the crowd fall silent immediately. 

“My son and I apologize deeply for the confusion we brought to everyone” she announced. “But given the circumstances, I vote for a council meeting at the earliest convenience to revise the crowning laws. Does the council head agree with me?”

The council head was a plump man in his fifties whose granddaughter had a immense liking for Kento, jumping him whenever he came into sight, and when Kento met his eyes, he could not seem but help to agree. 

“Thank you” Kento breathed, and he knew that it was too low for anyone but Shori and his mother to hear, but he was shaking so badly from the relief that he could not bring himself to speak any louder, and from the fond smile of his mother, he could tell that she had his back. 

He looked around to search for Fuma’s eyes again, but suddenly, his place was empty, and he was nowhere to be seen.

***

“Kento!” Marius called, hours later after he was finally released from everyone’s grip, greeting him as soon as he sat a foot back into the castle. Sou was right behind him, and both of them were grinning, and it made Kento smile involuntarily, the first real smile in what felt like _months_.

“There is someone waiting for you in your room” Marius announced with a big smile, and Kento’s face fell as he stared at his cousin incredulous.

“Don’t play with me” he warned. “I have not burst into tears yet today, and I am very proud of this.”

“I’m serious” he stated, exchanging another smirk with Sou. “Check for yourself if you don’t believe me!”

He did not need to say this twice. Kento was pushing past them without another word, running all the way up the stairs and down the corridors until he reached his room.

He pushed open the door and almost tripped as he found Fuma sitting on his bed, still looking unnaturally pale and cracking his fingers nervously. 

“I thought you had left!” Kento called reproachfully, leaning against the now closed door to catch his breath. 

“Sou and your cousin didn’t let me” he murmured. “They can be scary once they set their mind to something.”

“Why did you not stay to meet me?” Kento demanded, crossing the room until he was standing right in front of Fuma. 

“I… I was not sure if I could approach you” Fuma murmured unsurely. “I mean, everything is still a chaos, and-”

“So what is a little more?!” Kento called. “I don’t care about the chaos. I don’t care about the troubles you could cause me. I just want you by my side.”

Fuma met his eyes, and he saw everything Kento felt reflected in them, the loneliness and the longing and hope, and Kento reached out to cup his cheek softly. 

“Be with me, Fuma” he pleaded. “Please.”

Fuma did not answer, at least not verbally. Instead, he stood and pulled Kento into a hungry kiss, and Kento sighed as he melted against him, his body finally succumbing through the strain of the day and slumping against the taller boy. Fuma caught him, keeping him upright in a tight embrace, and Kento smiled against his lips. 

“How can I refuse an order of the king” Fuma whispered when he pulled away again, and he was smiling, the sparkle back in his eyes, and Kento could not help but giggle tiredly. 

“What if I want to make you my queen instead of Shori?” he joked, making Fuma narrow his eyes.

“Who said I’m the girl in this relationship, _Your Highness_?” he shot back, and Kento squealed when Fuma fingers dug into his sides, tickling him. 

“Then what are you in this scenario?” Kento demanded with a chuckle, and Fuma grinned.

“Maybe I’m the Joker” he mused. 

“That’s lame” Kento rolled his eyes.

“Shut up and kiss me, Nakajima.”

And for once, Kento obliged. 


End file.
